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Jake Gyllenhaal
Gyllenhaal attending the premiere of Proof.
Born	Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1991 – present
Awards	NBR Award for Best Supporting Actor 2005 Brokeback Mountain
Website	JakeGyllenhaal.com

Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at 11 years old. He has appeared in diverse roles since his first lead role in 1999's October Sky, followed by the 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko, in which he played a psychologically troubled teen and onscreen brother to his real-life sister, actor Maggie Gyllenhaal. In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event, alongside Dennis Quaid. He then played against type as a frustrated Marine in Jarhead (2005) and, that same year, won critical acclaim as a cowboy in a homosexual relationship in the controversial but highly lauded film, Brokeback Mountain.

Gyllenhaal has taken an activist role in supporting various political and social causes. He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising, campaigned for the Democratic party in the 2004 election, and promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Personal life

Family

Gyllenhaal's sister Maggie is engaged to actor Peter Sarsgaard, Gyllenhaal's co-star in Jarhead. Gyllenhaal's niece, Ramona Sarsgaard, was born on October 3, 2006. In December, 2006, they escaped a fire that destroyed Manka's, a famed lodge and restaurant in Inverness, California, at which they were vacationing. Jamie Lee Curtis is Gyllenhaal's godmother, and he has repeatedly referred to his godfathers being a gay couple. Gyllenhaal himself is the godfather of Matilda Rose Ledger (born October 28, 2005), the daughter of actors Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, both of whom co-starred with him in Brokeback Mountain. His uncle, Anders Gyllenhaal, is the executive editor of The Miami Herald.

Relationships

Gyllenhaal dated Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis in 2001,, and later actress Kirsten Dunst. The couple met through Gyllenhaal's sister Maggie, Dunst's Mona Lisa Smile co-star, began dating in September 2002. They were reported to have officially broken up in July 2004, but the relationship continued off and on until December 2005.

With Dunst, Gyllenhaal shared a German Shepherd named Atticus which they rescued from a Los Angeles dog shelter. Gyllenhaal also owns a Puggle named Boo Radley. Both dogs are named after characters from the Harper Lee novel To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Gyllenhaal's favorite novels.

Politics and other interests

Gyllenhaal is politically active. He shot a commercial for Rock the Vote, and along with his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal, visited the University of Southern California to encourage students to vote during the 2004 U.S. Election. He also campaigned for Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry. He has said, however, that "it frustrates me when actors talk politics; I’m political and I make choices in my movies that I think are political. I try and say things with what I do. Rightly or wrongly, young actors have all the power."

Raised in a family concerned with social issues, Gyllenhaal has campaigned on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization which his entire family strongly supports. Environmentally conscious, he recycles regularly, and said in an interview that he spends $400 a year to have trees planted in a Mozambique forest, partly to promote the Future Forests program. After filming The Day After Tomorrow, he flew to the Arctic to promote awareness of climate change.

In his spare time, Gyllenhaal enjoys woodworking and cooking. He has said, "I am not a card-carrying Buddhist, but I do try to practice mindfulness" and it is his goal to meditate every day.

Filmography

Awards

References

1. Pronounced Jill-en-hall ].
2. Whitaker, Tad (December 27 2006), Inverness fire engulfs lodge, Manka's eatery, Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2006.
3. Cite error: The named reference Jakesprogress was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
4. Sumi, Glen (December 12 2005), Jake Gyllenhaal, Now Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
5. Applebaum, Stephen (27 January 2006), "Love and War", Netribution. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
6. Lindall, Anders Smith, (May, 2005), "Rilo Kiley:Prime Time", Harp Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
7. Sydney Morning Herald (July 21 2004), "Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal split". Retrieved on September 19, 2006.
8. Glamour Magazine (2001), "G-Guys" Retrieved September 19, 2006.
9. Nichols, Kara (September 21 2004), "Celebrities rally voters", The Daily Trojan. Retrieved September 19 2006.
10. Pelleymounter, Alison (October 28 2004), "Star of Donnie Darko visits EC", The Spectator. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
11. Mottram, James (December 11 2005), "Jake’s Progress", Sunday Herald. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
12. ACLU Official Statement (May 15 2003),"Celebrities Speak out for Civil Rights". Retrieved September 19, 2006.
13. Dennis Van Tine, Jen Lowery, Bennett Marcus (October 4 2005), "ACLU Freedom Concert", Open all night. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
14. Foley, Jack (2003), "The Day After Tomorrow - Jake Gyllenhaal Q&A", Indie London. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
15. Curry, Carolann (May 27 2004), "2004: The year of Jake Gyllenhaal", Youth Quake magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
16. Eilperin, Juliet (April 26 2005), "Ice Crusade", Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
17. Spectral Productions Inc. (April 21 & April 22, 2005), Arctic Wisdom. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
18. Femalefirst (2006), "Carpenter Jake Gyllenhaal". Retrieved September 19, 2006.
19. Eimer, David (May 23 2004), "Jake's Progress", The Times. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
20. Denizet-Lewis, Benoit, "Jake", Details. Retrieved September 19, 2006.

External links

2. Part 2

• Official website
• Jake Gyllenhaal at IMDb

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• 1980 births
• American film actors
• American Buddhists
• American Jews
• BAFTA winners (people)
• California actors
• Columbia University alumni
• Jewish actors
• Living people
• People from Los Angeles
• Swedish-Americans
• Swedish nobility